News

Revival of Amritsar hub and spokes flights withdrawn since December 15 sought

December 29, 2009by
Charanjit Singh Gumtala

Amritsar Vikas Manch has demanded revival of the hub and spokes flights, withdrawn since December 15, 2009 from and to Amritsar.

In a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Mr. Praful Patel, local member of parliament S. Navjot Singh Sidhu and copied to AICC president Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Union Minister for sports and youth affairs, Dr. Manohar Singh Gill and member of parliament S. Tarlochan Singh,,S.Partap Singh Bajwa, the Manch patron Dr. Charanjit Singh Gumtala has said that withdrawal of these hub and spokes flights from and to Amritsar has affected passengers flying to New York, Frankfurt, Washington, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia via Delhi.

On the other hand, incoming passengers from overseas, bound for Amritsar, get a rude shock when, finding no flights, have to abort their journey at New Delhi because Air India never even informs them about such rescheduling. Because of this, most of them have to endure the north Indian cold at New Delhi.

Interestingly, Kingfisher operates its Delhi-Amritsar-Delhi flight at the same time but one wonders what prevents Air India from doing so. Another surprising thing is that when passengers approach Air India, they are adjusted on a Kingfisher or Jet Airways flight from Delhi to Amritsar but others are not accommodated and they are put off with cash refund and laft to make their own arrangement which is by no means easy or practical for most incoming passengers who usually come with families and are obliged to continue their journey by train the following day.

Mr. Gumtala has demanded that in the fog period AI flights scheduled to land at Amritsar Airport should be diverted but not cancelled as is the practice at New Delhi airport, besides rescheduling flights in the fog period as is being routinely done by other airlines.